December 2021: Pricing UpdateUpdated Pricing for VeraSol Certification ServicesUpdated pricing for VeraSol certification services will take effect on February 14, 2022. This means that the new pricing will govern all new orders for product certifications placed on or after that date. Current pricing can always be found here.Program pricing was last revised in October 2020. At that time, we increased the base per-product fee by $100 and made a few other minor changes but did not increase other fees, considering the difficult financial circumstances facing many companies in the sector due to the global pandemic. (Learn about the October 2020 revision.)At this time, we are increasing most of the prices in our fee schedule by approximately 25%. The size and complexity of the systems we are certifying continue to increase and, accordingly, so does the effort needed to develop test plans for these products.Like any business, we must remain financially strong to continue providing these essential services to the sector. In addition to increasing prices, we are taking other important steps to strengthen the financial position of the program:Implementing process improvements that could help drive down our labour cost per productReviewing the current IEC test methods and quality standards and assembling an initial list of changes that could reduce the cost and time needed to test and certify products (more on this soon)Seeking additional funding from donorsThe table below provides a side-by-side comparison of the old and new prices. A few highlights:We will continue to waive the base fee for new customers submitting their first product for certification. Several companies have taken advantage of this discount. We encourage others interested in getting their solar energy kits certified to contact us.The sampling fee will not change at this time. We decreased this fee slightly in October 2020 in response to comments from manufacturers.We are introducing a new fee that will be applied whenever a customer requests a change to an already approved order.These changes in how we price our services do not affect which products or components need to be tested or how. We will continue to work closely with companies to develop test plans that minimize the time and expense of getting products tested and quality verified.We look forward to our continued partnership with suppliers of quality off-grid solar products and hope to serve the sector for years to come. Please email testing@verasol.org with any questions.Pricing for VeraSol Certification ServicesEffective February 14, 2022Important note: Product testing costs are not included in these fees and must be paid directly to the test lab that conducts the tests.* New pricing takes effect on February 14, 2022. The previous pricing was in effect from October 16, 2020.More Articles Symposium on the Quality Assurance System and Testing Technology for Off-grid Solar ProductsOn September 16, VeraSol participated in the “Symposium on the Quality Assurance System and Testing Technology for Off-grid Solar Products” jointly organised by the World Bank Group’s Lighting Global Project Team, Shenzhen Municipal Administration of Market Supervision and Shenzhen Technology University. Learn More VeraSol’s Response to COVID-19 Supply Chain ChallengesIn response to existing supply chain disruptions, VeraSol is extending its policy so that products with expiration dates until December 31, 2022 are eligible for a 6-month extension. Learn More Public Review & Comment: Draft Quality Requirements for VeraSol Certification of Off-Grid Solar RefrigeratorsVeraSol needs your help to make the draft requirements for refrigerators relevant and appropriate to your business or program. Learn More